Steam-motor.



Patented February 21, 1905.

'PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM DROMPP, OF CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI.

STEAM-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,902, dated February 21, 1905. Application filed October 1, 1904. Serial N0. 226,816.

which the joints are so disposed with refer ence to the source of heat that they are not liable to be deteriorated by the intense heat and caused to leak.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a steam-motor of means whereby the movement of a single element is utilized to stop and start the engine and establish and discontinue the supply of water to the tubes of the generator and the supply of hydrocarbon to the main burner thereof.

Other advantageous features of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part'of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, illustrating a steam-motor constituting one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view illustrative of the peculiar water-tubes of the flash steam-generator, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of one tube-section of the generator.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which A is the steam-generator of my novel motor. The said generator is made up of a casinga, of Russia iron or other suitable material covered with asbestos or other non-conducting substance b, a main hydrocarbonburner c, which per 86 may be of any suitable type, a pilot-light (Z, which may also be of any suitable construction, and a tubular watercontainer 6, disposed in the casing and above the main burner and the pilot-light, as shown in Fig. 1. ,The tubular water-containercomprises a plurality of superposed tube-sections, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 3, and the said sections are soarranged that the water which enters the casing a at the top thereof makes two complete circuits around each section and passes from each section up to a pointadjacent to the top of the generator. At this latter point each section is connected to the next upper section by a right and left hand union f, so that the water after leaving each section passes downwardly intothe next upper section, and so on until it occupies all of the sections. From this arrangement it follows that all ofthe joints f between the tubesections are disposed at the top of the generator and adjacent to the side of the casing, where the said joints are remote from the burner 0, and hence are not liable to be deteriorated by the intense heat and caused to leak. \Vhile the said joints between the sections of tubing are arranged with a view of protecting the same from the intense heat, it will be observed that the major portion of each section is coiled in a tortuous manner above the main burner 0, so that each section in proportion to its size presents a large surface to the flames and products of combustion and yet does not interfere with the draft necessary to support combustion. It will further be observed that notwithstanding the large surface which the water-container c as a whole presents to the fiamesand products of combustion the said container is very compact and is therefore especially adapted for use in automobiles, where economy in space is always an important desideratum.

B, Fig. 1, is a water-tank.

C is a tank designed to contain kerosene or other hydrocarbon suitable for consumption in the burner 0; D, a pistoncylinder; E, a steam-supply pipe interposed between and connecting the lower end of the water-container a of the generator and the valve-chest (not shown) of the cylinder D; F, a watersupply pipe connected to the upper end of the said water-container e and having a non-return valve 5 arranged to open toward the said container 0; G, a suitable by-pass valve connected, through the medium of a pipe it, w1th TOO a non-return valve 2', arranged to open toward the said pump; L, a pipe connected to the pump J and also connected to and passing by the by-pass valve G; M, a pipe leading from the hydrocarbon-tank O and provided with a cut-off valve j, which is controlled by a suitable handle ]v, and N a pipe connected to the pilot-light (Z and arranged to supply the said pilot-light (Z and the main burner c with hydrocarbon, as will be presently described in detail.

Connected to the end of the pipe N remote from the pilot-light (Z, the end of the pipe K remote from the water-tank B, the end of the pipe'M remote from the hydrocarbon-tank C, and the end of the pipe F remote from the water-container is a casing P, and in the said casing is a valve Q for regulating the supply of water to the water container e and the supply of hydrocarbon to the main burner c. The said valve Q may be of any construction compatible with the purposes of my invention without involving a departure from the scope thereof. I prefer, however, that it should be a rectilinearly-movable plug-valve, as shown, having two ports 1" for effecting connection between the water-pipes L and F and two ports h 71; for effecting connection between the hydrocarbon-pipes M and N. Two ports are provided in the valve for the passage of water and two ports for the passage of hydrocarbon in order to effect the supply of watcr to the water-container a of the generator and the supply of hydrocarbon to the burner of the generator irrespective of the direction in which the controlling-lever R of the engine is thrown to start the engine. The said lever R is connected by the conventional means or any other suitable means with the reversing valvegear for controlling the valve in the valve-chest on the cylinder D; but as the said connecting means and the reversing valvegear in themselves form no part of my invention I have deemed it unnecessary to illustrate the same. The lever B is connected, through the medium of a lever s and a rod 6, to the valve Q and is equipped with a detent a, which is designed, in connection with a segmental rack o, to adjustably fix the lever in the several positions in which the same is placed.

In the practical use of my novel motor it will be observed that when the lever B is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the supply of water to the container 0 will be cut off and the major portion of the hydrocarbon-supp] y will also be cut off. Sufficient hydrocarbon, however, will be permitted to pass through the valve to supply the pilot-light (Z, and hence the said pilot-light will be enabled to sufficiently heat the container to keep up steam in the tubes thereof. When the lever B is swung toward the right or' toward the left to start the engine either backward or forward, full communication will be established between the source of water-supply and the container 1; and the source of hydrocarbon-supply and the burner 0. With this done the burner 0 will quickly heat the container 6, and the generation of steam from the water maintained in the upper coils of the container will afford ample steam-pressure to start the engine under all conditions, thus obviating the necessity of resorting to the use of a hand-pump. When the engine is started as stated, the pump J will obviously be placed immediately in operation, so that the supply of water in the container 0 will be replenished and a constant supply maintained.

The by-pass valve G is designed for use when the supply of water is cut off from the container (3 of the generator, it then serving to conduct the water which is pumped by the momentum of the engine subsequent to the closing of the valve Q back to the tank B.

In virtue of the novel construction described it will be observed that the motor is controlled entirely through the medium of a single lever--that is to say, the single lever R serves to start, stop, and reverse the engine and controls both the Water and the hydrocarbon-fuel supply. From this it follows that when the motor is embodied in a motor-vehicle the operator thereof has but the one lever to attend to in order to properly manage the motor and is free to direct the major portion of his attention to the guidance of'the vehicle.

It will be readily appreciated from the foregoing that notwithstanding the efficiency of my improved motor as a whole the same is simple, inexpensive, and compact in construction and embodies no delicate parts such as are liable to get out of order after a short period of use.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear, and exact understanding of the said embodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to such specific construction and relative arrangementof parts, as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a steam-motor, the combination of a casing, a burner disposed in the lower portion thereof, a water-container dis posed in the easing, above the burner, and comprising a plurality of superposed tube-sections connected together in series, a water-supply pipe connected with top end of the water-container, a steam-pipe leading from the bottom end of the container, a pipe connected with the burner,

a pipe leading from a source of water-supply, a pipe leading from a source of hydrocarbonsupply, a valve-casing interposed between and connected to the pipe leading to the burner and the water-pipe leading to the water-container, and the pipes leading from the water and hydrocarbon sources of supply, an engine arranged to be supplied with steam from the water-container, and a device arranged to control the engine and connected with a valve arranged in the valve-casing and adapted to regulate the supply of water to the water-container and the supply of hydrocarbon to the burner.

2. In a steam-motor, the combination of a generator comprising a water-container and a hydrocarbon-burner, a steam-engine connected with and arranged to be supplied with steam from the water-container, a device for controlling the steam-engine, a valve-casing connected with the water-container and the hydrocarbon-burner, and also connected with water and hydrocarbon sources of supply, and

'a valve disposed in the casing and arranged to control communication between the water and hydrocarbon sources of supply and the water-container and burner respectively, and connected with and arranged to be operated by the engine-controlling device.

3. In a steam-motor, the combination of a generator comprising a water-container and a hydrocarbon-burner, a steam-engine connected with and arranged to be supplied with steam from the water-container, a device for controlling the steam-engine, a valve-casing connected with the water-container and the hydrocarbon-burner and also connected with a hydrocarbon source of supply, a water source of supply, a pump connected with the water source of supply and the valve-casing and arranged to be operated by the engine, and a valve disposed in the casing and arranged to control communication between the water and hydrocarbon sources of supply and the watercontainer and burner respectively, and arranged to be operated by the engine-controlling device.

4. In a steam-motor, the combination of a generator comprising a water-container and a hydrocarbon-burner, a steam-engine connected with and arranged to be supplied with steam from the water-container, a lever for controlling the steam-engine, a valve-casing having ports connected with the water-container and the hydrocarbon-burner and other ports connected with the hydrocarbon source of supply, and a pump, the said pump connected with a water source of supply and arranged to be operated by the engine, a valve disposed in the valve-casing and having a plurality of water-ports and a plurality of hydrocarbon-ports, a connection between the engine-controlling lever and the valve for moving the latter by the former, and a by-pass valve connected with the water source of supply and the conduit intermediate of the pump and the valve-casing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM DROMPP.

Witnesses:

E. BELKNAP, Gno. S. PATTERSON. 

